The Department of Labor and Employment – National Capital Region conducts monitoring of the livelihood assistance provided to the working poor and underemployed to verify its actuality and to ascertain its sustainability. Said initiative began in the second week of September and still continuing to increase the coverage of the beneficiaries to be monitored.

The Employment Promotion and Workers’ Welfare Division spearheaded the initiative together with the six Field Offices of DOLE-NCR. Focal persons from the Field Offices and their regional counterparts visited the identified beneficiaries to know the status of their undertakings and at the same time, elicit their insights and suggestions for better provision of interventions. Priority sectors such as the Persons with Disabilities, Senior Citizens, parents of child laborers, and victims of calamities were also provided and covered by this initiative.

In Quezon City, former scavengers pooled their meager resources and sought the assistance of DOLE. The group, based in Gawad Kalinga Village in Payatas B, Quezon City was provided with materials which enable them to make school bags, bed sheets, pillow cases, and curtains. The group’s initiative is being supervised by the RVM Sisters.

The members of the group unanimously expressed their profound gratitude to DOLE for extending assistance that enable them to have meaningful undertakings that supports their financial needs particularly the education of their children.

Another group composed of Senior Citizens also in Quezon City voiced their heartfelt appreciation as DOLE provided them seed money to start their own business. When asked of the program’s impact, one member responded that having their own store enable them to “makapag-isip at hindi kami maging uliyanin dahil may ginagawa kami.” One member put emphasis on the camaraderie built among the members saying “tumatag ang relasyon at samahan namin bilang mga miyembro ng samahan at ng komunidad dahil naiintindihan namin ang mga pangangailangan ng bawat isa.”